By Austin Ogwuda
THE Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Arthur Akpowowo has expressed deep concern over the influx of commercial motorcycles ‘okada’ operators into the State, noting that they constitute security risk.
Akpowowo stated this during an interaction with members of the Delta State House of Assembly Press Corps shortly after Wednesday’s sitting.
According to him, “These okada riders came from a section of the country; they are so violent and lawless.
“If they hit your vehicle, problem. If you hit any of them, they mob you even to death.
“They came in droves into the State without any place in mind to stay. They converged in uncompleted buildings and most times turned that place to criminal den.
“The sad development has raised a lot of public concerns and I believe that efforts are being made by the State government in collaboration with security agencies to check the ugly trend”.
The Deputy Speaker who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Compliance called for stronger collaboration between the mass media and the House in publicizing the activities of the State Legislature while expressing shock that many people are not aware of the existence of so many Bills, already passed by the House and accented to, by the Governor.
Said he, “When I appeared on a Radio live programme at Delta Broadcasting Service, DBS Asaba last week and talking about the Delta State Livestock Law, people were calling in to confess that they were not even aware of such Law.
“There are other people’s oriented Laws that suffer same fate as well as Motions and Resolutions of the House. I have also challenged the State Orientation Bureau to help in educating the public on existing Laws in the State and the need for their full implementations.
“The Laws and Resolutions are made to be obeyed and enforced, to entrench sanity in all parts of the State. The open grazing Law is one of such Laws which non implementation has not done the public any good”.
He commended the State Assembly Press Corps for doing marvelous job and expressed happiness that one of them in the person of Mr Nkem Nwaeke was picked by the Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Dennis Guwor as his Chief Press Secretary, CPS.
“I knew Nkem many years back as a hard working and an outstanding Reporter. His experience in the job has helped in the coverage of the House. We were all happy when the Speaker announced him as his Chief Press Secretary, CPS. We are all benefiting from it”, he added.
